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In a Study, Text Messages Add Up to a Balance Sheet of Everyday Morality

Leadership Implications: The article suggests, “Committing a small act of kindness…often prompts the recipient to extend a hand to others.” The article also points out, “People who have done the good deed are primed to commit a rude one later on, as if drawing on moral credit from their previous act.” What are the implications of this study on the practice of leadership? How important is everyday moral behavior in effective leadership? Do you believe this study applies to different cultures? Why or why not? Do you think the outcome of the study would have been the same at different periods of time throughout our history? What does this say about U.S. culture at this point in time? Taking into account effective leadership, how do we address the issue of moral behavior and hold ourselves accountable, so that we do not commit as many small acts of rudeness or dismissiveness?

Studying Leadership: This study “shows what kind of insights can be obtained by studying events in their natural, spontaneous context.” What could we learn about leadership if we were better able to study leadership in a natural, spontaneous context? If you received a large grant to study leadership in a natural, spontaneous context, what questions would you be interested in addressing from a research standpoint? If you were to use texting (like the researchers did in the article) to study leadership, what questions would you ask someone throughout the day to provide insight into their leadership/followership behavior?

Moral Behavior in Leadership: According to the article, the moral behaviors demonstrated by the participants tended to fall into three major categories including: (a) “care/harm” (assisting a tourist with directions, for example, or rudely pushing past one); (b) “fairness/unfairness” (tipping generously or not, or Congress cutting funding for poverty programs); and (c) “loyalty/disloyalty” (going to family dinner rather than out with cronies, or arranging an adulterous tryst). Is it possible to use these categories to define moral behavior in leadership? What would be an example of a leader who demonstrates care and/or harm? What would be an example of a leader who demonstrates fairness and/or unfairness? Finally, what would be an example of a leader being loyal or disloyal? How important is it for a leader to care, be fair, and demonstrate loyalty?

Good Deeds and Service: The study found that good deeds are “contagious.” Why do you think this is the case? How can leaders use this information, and the need we have to pay good deeds forward, as a way to establish/change a culture? Are there any leadership models/theories that have service and/or being good to others at the core of the model/theory?

Please don’t hesitate to leave comments or additional questions on The New York Times in Leadership site (in the comment box right next to these questions) or send feedback to matthew.sowcik@wilkes.edu